U.S. patent number 5,522,526 [Application Number 08/301,703] was granted by the patent office on 1996-06-04 for method and device for dispensing and packaging a fluid product contained in a receptacle which is pressurized with the aid of a propellant gas.
This patent grant is currently assigned to L'Oreal. Invention is credited to Vincent DeLaforcade, Pierre Lasserre.
United States Patent |
5,522,526 |
DeLaforcade , et
al. |
June 4, 1996 |
Method and device for dispensing and packaging a fluid product
contained in a receptacle which is pressurized with the aid of a
propellant gas
Abstract
Method and device for packaging and dispensing a fluid product
(P) contained in a receptacle (2) which is pressurized with the aid
of a propellant gas (G), the receptacle (2) including two
compartments (3, 4) which are separated by a moving partition (5),
a first compartment (3) containing the fluid product (P) and being
in communication with a valve (6) for dispensing the product (P)
and the second compartment (4) containing the propellant gas (G),
by which in the second compartment (4) the propellant gas (G) is
brought to a pressure P1 allowing the fluid product (P) to be
dispensed by action on the dispensing valve (6), dispensing is
carried out and the pressure in the second compartment (4) is
lowered to atmospheric pressure, the pressure in the compartment
(4) not being brought back up to a pressure allowing dispensing of
the product (P) until just before the next dispensing act.
Inventors: |
DeLaforcade; Vincent
(Rambouillet, FR), Lasserre; Pierre (Coubron,
FR) |
Assignee: |
L'Oreal (Paris,
FR)
|
Family
ID: |
9450726 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/301,703 |
Filed: |
September 7, 1994 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Sep 10, 1993 [FR] |
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93 10774 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
222/1; 222/387;
222/389; 222/95 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B
9/0838 (20130101); B65D 83/62 (20130101); B65D
83/64 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B05B
9/08 (20060101); B65D 83/14 (20060101); B65D
035/28 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/1,95,105,387,389,401 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
0338844 |
|
Oct 1989 |
|
EP |
|
973108 |
|
Feb 1951 |
|
FR |
|
3934237 |
|
Feb 1990 |
|
DE |
|
5-254575 |
|
Oct 1993 |
|
JP |
|
Primary Examiner: Kashnikow; Andres
Assistant Examiner: Bomberg; Kenneth
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Young & Thompson
Claims
We claim:
1. In a method for packaging and dispensing a fluid product (P)
contained in a receptacle (2,102) which is pressurized with the aid
of a propellant gas (G), the receptacle (2, 102) including two
compartments (3, 103; 4, 104) which are separated by a moving
partition (5, 105), a first of said two compartments (3, 103)
containing the fluid product (P) and being in communication with a
valve (6, 106) for dispensing the product (P) and the second of
said two compartments (4, 104) containing the propellant gas (G);
the improvement comprising bringing the propellant gas (G) in the
second compartment (4, 104) to a pressure P1 allowing the fluid
product (P) to be dispensed by action on the dispensing valve (6),
dispensing the fluid product (P), and lowering the pressure in the
second compartment (4, 104) to atmospheric pressure by forming a
leakage of propellant gas (G) between the second compartment (4,
104) and the atmosphere during and after the dispensing of the
product, the leakage flow rate of the propellant gas (G) being
chosen such that sufficient dispensing time is available, and
bringing the pressure in the compartment (4, 104) back up to a
pressure allowing further dispensing of the product (P) only just
before a next dispensing act.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the
propellant gas (G) is compressed air.
3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the
dispensing time is from 1 to 10 minutes.
4. In a device for packaging and dispensing a fluid product (P)
including a receptacle (2, 102) which is pressurized with the aid
of a propellant gas (G), the receptacle (2, 102) including two
compartments (3, 103 and 4, 104) which are separated by a moving
partition (5, 105), a first of said two compartments (3, 103)
containing the fluid product (P) to be dispensed and communicating
with a dispensing valve (6, 106) carried by the receptacle (2, 102)
and the second of said two compartments (4,104) containing the
propellant gas (G), a wall of the second compartment (4, 104)
carrying a filling valve (9, 109) for feeding the second
compartment with compressed propellant gas (G); the improvement
wherein the second compartment (4, 104) has a leakage orifice (22,
23, 24) communicating permanently between the interior of the
second compartment and the atmosphere outside the device and which
allows the propellant gas (G) to leak into the atmosphere.
5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the moving
partition (5) is a piston.
6. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the moving
partition (105) is a deformable pouch.
7. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the leakage
orifice (22, 23, 24) forms part of the valve (9, 109) for feeding
with compressed propellant gas
8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the filling
valve (9, 109) for feeding with compressed propellant gas (G) is a
valve with a shut-off element, in which the shut-off element does
not rest on a seat in a leaktight fashion in a closed position.
9. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the filling
valve (9, 109) for feeding with compressed propellant gas (G)
includes an elastic shutoff element interacting with a seat and a
groove is formed in one of the shut-off elements and the seat so as
to create the leakage orifice between the shut-off element and its
seat in the closed position.
10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the shut-off
element is made up of an elastic membrane (18) interacting with a
rigid body (19) comprising said seat, the elastic membrane (18)
being provided with an orifice (22) and the rigid body (19) being
provided with a duct (23), a groove (24) being formed in the rigid
body (19) so as to place the orifice (22) and the duct (23) in
communication even when the valve is in the closed position.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and device for dispensing
and packaging a fluid product contained in a receptacle which is
pressurized with the aid of a propellant gas, more particularly
advantageous when the propellant gas is not compatible with the
fluid product to be dispensed, as well as to a device for the
implementation of the said method.
According to the present invention, a fluid product is understood
to be a product in the form of a liquid or in the form of a paste
or cream with some degree of viscosity.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known to use, for packaging and dispensing a fluid product
contained in a receptacle which is pressurized using a gas which is
not compatible with the fluid product, a receptacle including two
compartments which are separated by a moving partition, a first
compartment containing the fluid product and being in communication
with a valve for dispensing the product, and a second compartment
containing the compressed gas. During dispensing, the moving
partition moves and/or deforms. The moving partition may be made up
of a deformable membrane; it is preferably made up of a piston.
This type of device is intended to isolate the fluid product to be
dispensed from the propellant gas and thus delay the deterioration
of the fluid product by the propellant gas.
However, the moving wall, more particularly when it is made up of a
piston, is not always absolutely leaktight either because the seals
between the moving wall and the receptacle are not leaktight, or
because the moving wall has a certain permeability to the
propellant gas. The lower the viscosity of the fluid product and
the higher the pressure of the compressed gas in the second
compartment, the poorer the sealing. Consequently, during storage,
the compressed gas may leak progressively into the first
compartment containing the fluid product and this product may be
deteriorated after a certain storage time. This problem arises, for
example, in the case where the compressed gas is air and where the
fluid product is a hair dye.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, it has been found that it is
possible to avoid deterioration of a fluid product, even one of low
viscosity, by an incompatible propellant gas in a receptacle which
is separated into two compartments by a moving partition, even
though the seal between the wall of the receptacle and the moving
partition is not strictly leaktight and/or even though the moving
partition has a certain permeability, by keeping the propellant gas
in the second compartment at atmospheric pressure during storage
and increasing the pressure in the said second compartment only in
order to allow the said dispensing, the receptacle being
pressurized only for a very short length of time close to the
dispensing time.
One subject of the present invention is therefore a method for
packaging and dispensing a fluid product contained in a receptacle
which is pressurized with the aid of a propellant gas, the
receptacle including two compartments which are separated by a
moving partition, a first compartment containing the fluid product
and being in communication with a valve for dispensing the product
and the second compartment containing the propellant gas,
characterized in that in the second compartment the propellant gas
is brought to a pressure having a value P1 allowing the fluid
product to be dispensed by action on the dispensing valve, that
dispensing is carried out and that the pressure in the second
compartment is lowered to atmospheric pressure, the pressure not
being brought back up to a pressure allowing dispensing of the
product until just before the next dispensing act.
The propellant gas is a compressed gas, preferably air. In order to
bring the compartment containing the propellant gas to a pressure
allowing dispensing, the propellant gas, particularly compressed
air, is preferably introduced with the aid of a compressor or of
some other source of compressed gas by means of a valve located in
the wall of the compartment containing the propellant gas. The
compressor used may, for example, be the one described in FR-A
2,656,047.
In order to return the pressure of the second compartment to
atmospheric pressure after a dispensing act, a leakage is
advantageously formed between the second compartment and the
atmosphere. It is possible to form this leakage after or during
dispensing. In the latter case, during the operation of
pressurizing the gas compartment, the pressure is brought to the
value P1 which is greater than atmospheric pressure and allows
dispensing by actuation of the dispensing valve and the leakage
flow rate of the propellant gas is chosen such that a sufficient
dispensing time is available. In practice, it is considered that a
dispensing time of 1 to 10 minutes is suitable in the case of the
dispensing of cosmetic products.
Another subject of the present invention is a device allowing the
implementation of the method according to the invention; a device
for packaging and dispensing a fluid product including a receptacle
which is pressurized with the aid of a propellant gas, the
receptacle including two compartments which are separated by a
moving partition, the first compartment containing the fluid
product to be dispensed and communicating with a dispensing valve
carried by the receptacle and the second compartment containing the
propellant gas, is characterized in that the wall of the second
compartment carries a valve for feeding with compressed propellant
gas and has a leakage orifice allowing the propellant gas to leak
into the atmosphere.
The leakage orifice may include a closure means allowing the said
orifice to be closed during the pressurizing step and/or the
dispensing step. This closure means is, for example, a stopper
which the user fits manually.
Preferably, the leakage orifice does not include any closure means;
it may be independent of the valve for feeding with propellant gas
and it is then advantagously made up of a micro-orifice pierced in
the wall of the second compartment. Preferably, the leakage orifice
forms part of the valve for feeding with compressed propellant gas.
For example, according to the latter embodiment, the valve for
feeding with compressed propellant gas is a valve with a shut-off
element, in which the shut-off element does not close back down
onto its seat in a leaktight fashion in the closed position when
the feeding with propellant gas has ended. The leakage orifice is
then made up of the space existing between the shut-off element and
its seat. According to a preferred embodiment, the valve is made up
of a shut-off element of elastic material resting on a seat and a
slender groove is formed in the seat and/or the shut-off element so
as to create a leakage orifice between the shut-off element and its
seat in the closed position. The latter embodiment is advantageous
because there is no leakage of compressed propellant gas during the
pressurizing phase.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
To make the invention easier to understand, there will be described
hereafter, merely by way of illustration and with no limitation
implied, two embodiments thereof which are represented in the
appended drawing.
In this drawing:
FIG. 1 is a view partially in section of a first embodiment of a
device according to the invention, and
FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the valve for feeding the device of
FIG. 1 with gas,
FIG. 3 is a view partially in section of a second embodiment of a
device according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In FIG. 1, the device according to the invention is denoted overall
by the reference 1. The device 1 is made up of a receptacle 2
divided into two compartments 3 and 4 by a moving partition made up
of a piston 5. The first compartment 3 contains the product P to be
dispensed and the second compartment 4 contains the propellant gas
G. A dispensing valve 6 is crimped onto the receptacle 2,
communicates with the compartment 3 and carries a stem 7 which can
be driven in with the aid of a push button (not represented) in
order to actuate the valve 6 and dispense the product P. According
to the embodiment represented, the end 8 of the receptacle 2 forms
a dish of conical shape having its concavity pointing outwards and
it is equipped at its centre with a valve 9 forming a stopper which
will be described in more detail hereafter.
The piston 5 includes a transverse element 10 carrying a
cylindrical skirt 11 pointing towards the second compartment 4. The
transverse element 10 peripherally has a conical portion 12, of
which the convexity points towards the compartment 3 and which at
its centre joins onto an indentation 13 pointing towards the
compartment 3. In the example represented, this indentation 13 is
formed of lateral walls which are successively cylindrical,
frustoconical and cylindrical, and of an end perpendicular to the
axis of the receptacle 2; thus, the indentation 13 has a shape
which complements that of the valve 6.
The cylindrical skirt 11 of the piston 5 is equipped with two
sealing lips: a first lip 14 located in the vicinity of the
transverse element 10 and pointing towards the compartment 3, and a
second lip 15 situated at the open end of the skirt 11 and pointing
towards the end 8 of the receptacle 2. An O-ring seal 16 is
located, in a groove 17 in the skirt 11, between the lips 14 and
15.
The valve 9 is made up of two components fitting into one another:
a membrane 18 made of elastic material forming a shut-off element
and a body 19 made of a rigid plastic forming the seat of the
shut-off element. The elastic membrane 18 includes a frustoconical
lateral wall 20, of which the end of larger diameter bears a groove
27 allowing the said elastic membrane 18 to be snap-fitted onto the
end 8 of the receptacle 2. At the smaller-diameter end of its
lateral wall 20, the elastic membrane 18 is extended as a
transverse component 21 including an axial orifice 22.
The rigid body 19 has a shape which complements that of the elastic
membrane 18 and therefore includes a frustoconical lateral wall 25
extended as a transverse component 26. In the frustoconical wall 25
there is formed a duct 23 which is parallel to the axis of the
valve 9 and opens out in the vicinity of the junction between the
frustoconical wall 25 and the transverse component 26. The
larger-diameter end of the frustoconical wall 25 extends as a
cylindrical wall 30 equipped with an annular collar 28 which,
together with the frustoconical wall 25, defines a neck 31
receiving the large-diameter end of the frustoconical wall 20 of
the elastic membrane 18: thus, when the rigid body 19 is fixed to
the end 8 of the receptacle 2, the elastic membrane 18 acts as a
seal; an annular collar 29 formed at the lower part of the body 19
allows the valve 9 to be fitted to a gas compressor (not
represented). On the outer surface of the body 19 there is formed a
groove 24 which, when the rigid body 19 and the membrane 18 are
assembled, places the orifice 22 and the duct 23 in
communication.
The device 1 operates in the way described below. When the user
wishes to dispense the product P contained in the compartment 3 of
the receptacle 2, he places the receptacle 2 on a gas compressor
(not represented), particularly an air compressor, so that the
valve 9 is in communication with the delivery nozzle of the
compressor. The compressed gas G passes through the duct 23,
deforms the elastic membrane 18, detaching it from the body 19, and
penetrates into the compartment 4 via the orifice 22. It should be
noted that the groove 24, although it allows a certain amount of
propellant gas G to pass, would not by itself allow the compartment
4 to be fed with gas G in a short period of time: the pressure in
the compartment 4, which was equal to atmospheric pressure,
increases. Pressurization continues until the pressure reaches a
predetermined value P1, sufficient to allow the product to be
dispensed when the dispensing valve 6 is actuated. The user then
halts the feeding with compressed gas G and separates the
receptacle 2 from the compressor.
The elastic membrane 18, under the action of this pressure P1,
reassumes its position of rest on the rigid body 19: the groove 24
places the orifice 22 and the duct 23 in communication and allows a
small leakage of propellant gas G from the compartment 4 into the
atmosphere through the duct 23. Shortly after having removed the
receptacle 2 from the compressor, the user actuates the valve 6 and
dispenses the product P contained in the compartment 3. The piston
5 moves longitudinally in terms of translation towards the valve 6
despite the slight leakage of propellant gas G via the valve 9.
Owing to the movement of the piston and the slight leakage of
propellant gas G, the pressure in the compartment 4 decreases. The
dimensions of the groove 24 are chosen so that the leakage flow
rate of the propellant gas G is such that dispensing can last from
1 to 10 minutes. When dispensing has stopped or been halted, the
user having stopped actuating the valve 6, the pressure inside the
compartment 4 continues to decrease progressively until it reaches
atmospheric pressure by virtue of the groove 24 in the valve 9. The
user will not reestablish a pressure P1 in the compartment 4 until
he wishes to dispense some product again.
Under these conditions, the device 1 is pressurized only for a few
minutes at the moment of use. What is more, when the propellant gas
G is compressed air, the device 1 is not heat-sensitive and there
is no danger of it exploding. Furthermore, it is ecological, the
gas discharged into the atmosphere being air.
FIG. 3 represents a second embodiment of a device according to the
invention denoted overall by the reference 101. This device 101
includes a receptacle 102 separated into two compartments: a
compartment 103 containing the product P to be dispensed, and a
compartment 104 containing the compressed gas G. These two
compartments are separated by a moving partition 105 which is made
up of a deformable pouch. The end of the receptacle 102 is equipped
with a valve 109 identical to the one illustrated in FIG. 2. On the
opposite side from the end of the receptacle carrying the valve 109
there is crimped a dispensing valve 106 which communicates with the
compartment 103 containing the product P to be dispensed. The
deformable pouch 105 is fastened, for example by a weld 130, to the
body of the valve 106.
In this device, a pressure P allowing dispensing is not established
in the compartment 104 until the moment of dispensing, the pressure
in the compartment 104 then returning to atmospheric pressure.
Consequently, even if the walls of the pouch 105 are slightly
permeable to the gas, the gas will have practically no tendency to
pass through the wall of the pouch and the risks of the product P
contained in the pouch deteriorating are low.
* * * * *